Passenger information

The Office of Rail and Road believes good progress has been made over the past year in the quality of information provided about planned rail replacement bus services, but concerns remain with the passenger experience during the actual journey.

Rail industry plans for dealing with stranded trains require greater focus on the safety, welfare and customer experience of the passengers involved, including those with disabilities and additional needs, say the Office of Rail and Road and Transport Focus.

The Office of Rail and Road has asked train operators and Network Rail to address the concerns raised in its report, published today, regarding the consistency and usefulness of passenger information of rail replacement services when there are planned engineering works.

The Office of Rail and Road has written to train operators saying that ticket retailers need to build on the good progress of automatic notifications, by providing improved clarity for passengers regarding their rights where there are changes to booked trains.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today called for all train companies to implement a system that automatically notifies passengers who have booked tickets online if their trains are cancelled or changed before travel.

Passengers attempting to access timetable information and book tickets for Avanti West Coast services have faced frustrating and enduring problems in recent months.